A Ruthless Beginning
by DaDragon562
Summary: Extremely AU: What if Delia died early on? What if her last wish was for Ash to be raised by someone besides the Oaks. Someone with a different view on Pokemon, someone more ruthless. Just what would he become capable of? Dark! Skilled! Ash!
1. Prologue

AN: So, I've recently felt the urge to become reacquainted with my childhood, something I loved fondly, good old Pokemon. I played through HGSS, but it wasn't enough. I started reading fanfics, and although some were amazing, some were just bad. What annoyed me though was that there were so many possibilities with Pokemon fanfics, yet nobody was trying them out. So I thought, what the hell, I'll give it a shot. I'll try and make a realistic Pokemon fanfic, portraying Ash's journey, if a certain nudge was given to him early on. If he was raised slightly differently by someone other than just his mom. If there was a legitimate impact of not having a dad on him, rather than just the innocent depiction in the series. This fic was intended to be dark and realistic, a little closer to the manga than to the anime, but anyways, this is long enough. Reviews, Constructive Criticism, ideas for Ash's first Pokemon and especially on what you guys expect to see are always welcome. I know for such a realistic portrayal, the first chapter doesn't seem so realistic, but let me know what you think.

Key:

"This is speech"

"_These are thoughts_"

* * *

><p>Ash Ketchum, was a boy born with a bright destiny, he just hadn't realized it yet. He was only six years old, yet it was the coming events that would shape him into the boy that would take the world by storm in the coming years.<p>

He had lived in Pallett Town with his mom for as long as he could remember. His mom, Delia Ketchum, never told him anything about his dad, just saying that he was gone on a journey whenever he asked.

Although Pallett Town was a generally pleasant place to live, it still suffered from the cruelties of society. Despite having been married when she had Ash, people were still wary of associating with the two. Adults would rarely want to go out of their way to help Delia as they thought she was some young love-struck girl who was tricked and became pregnant, and didn't have the heart to terminate the child. Most people ignored her when they crossed paths, only speaking to her when necessary. The stigma of being a single parent had brought her down for as long as she could remember while being in Pallett Town. It was even worse for Ash, as he didn't have the fortitude or maturity to deal with the situation like his mother. Few kids wanted to be his friend, as they would often jeer at him for not having a daddy. This had led to many people often shunning him early on when he tried to become friends with them at the park and other social events.

However, there was one small glimmer of help through the Ketchum's' troubled times. The Oaks, a local family related to the famous Professor Samuel Oak, had decided to give the two the benefit of the doubt and help them out. It had been a joyful day indeed for the two, when they found aid in the forms of Blue, Samuel, and Gary Oak. Blue was the Professor's son, and had gotten married early in life. His wife had unfortunately not survived childbirth, and died shortly after giving birth to Gary Oak.

It had been rather surprising to say the least, as Blue had come to their house one day, with no indication he was going to visit. In fact, he didn't even have a real reason to visit her or help her out, but all he did was ask her what her name was, and then he made a surprised face at the name Ketchum. Delia had wanted to ask him about the pensive look he had on his face, but decided that she didn't want to pry. Shortly after, he'd introduced his dad and his son, and Gary and Ash had become quick friends.

It had been two years since the Ketchums and the Oaks first met. Ash and Gary had become best friends. Initially, Gary was unsure of what to think of the boy that had no friends, but then decided it didn't matter, Ash was an alright kid. What the other kids thought didn't matter.

Right now, they were playing a game of Frisbee out in the meadow near the Pokemon ranch. It was their favorite spot to hang out and play games. It was far enough away from the town that the two kids could just relax and be themselves, while still being close enough that their parents' would still be able to find them if they were needed home. Not to mention, the fact that it was right next to the Pokemon ranch which held all kinds of amazing Pokemon that Ash and Gary loved to spend time watching.

Gary was seven years old right now. He was two months older than Ash, and had long spiky light-brown hair, that was all over the place. He wore a black shirt over blue jeans, while he wore black sneakers underneath those. To top off his look, he had a purple wristband on each hand.

Ash himself was six years old. He had pointy black hair, with the same outfit as Gary, except his wristbands were green. Also, he was a little shorter than Gary.

They were currently playing Frisbee to pass the time, while they reminisced on the events that led to this moment. They decided to sit down and relax in the grass after a little while.

Both boys sat thinking, one of the futures to come, while the other thought of the past that had gone by.

"Hey Ash, have you ever thought about what you wanted to do with your life?" asked Gary.

"Hmm? What do you mean?" questioned Ash.

"Well, have you ever thought what you wanted to do when you're older? I mean we're only a few years away from the age of minority. We'll be expected to begin the steps of our journey soon, right?" responded Gary.

The age of minority was the age at which Kanto allowed for children to officially own Pokemon and get their very own Pokedex, if they decided to become a Pokemon trainer. If they didn't want to become a trainer, and decided to pursue some other profession, then this was the age when most trade schools would allow admission into their ranks. This was basically the age at which a child would become a man, almost like the age of majority in some other lands.

It was a sobering thought. Or at least if would be if these two young boys were a little bit older, a little bit more mature, a little more able to understand the gravity of what lay ahead of them. Fortunately, they still held the innocent bravado that accompanied childhood.

"Tch, I know what I'll be doing. I'll be basking in the glory of having become the world's greatest Pokemon Master! Everybody will bow down to me, and praise me and feel guilty for ignoring me. I'll show them, they'll all feel so stupid when they realize the opportunity they missed!" shouted Ash, getting up now and staring far into the distance.

Gary just smirked and said, "The day they let an idiot like you into the Hall of Fame for Kanto, let alone give you the title of Pokemon Master, is the day that I quit being a Pokemon Trainer."

"Oh yeah, well what's your dream then, you wise-guy!" shouted back Ash.

"Me? I don't really know...Dad wants me to become a Trainer and a champion like he once was, while grandpa would like me to become a researcher like him...Right now I guess I just wanna go out there and find what I enjoy, and stick with it," responded Gary.

His response made Ash feel a bit childish with how he was behaving. Here he was trying to feel bad about his lack of a social life, when Gary had it so much worse than him. He had so much pressure from all sides of his family. He had so many expectations to live up to, and even more shadows to stand in.

His dad was Blue, the former champion, a guy who had defeated the Elite Four and become Kanto's Champion. At least, for a short while until he was beaten by another trainer named Red. It was humiliating to think about that his reign as Champion lasted but hours, yet it was an accomplishment none the less.

Unfortunately, that wasn't enough, as he had to live up to the expectations as the grandson of the Professor Oak, a man who was a living legend. At one time, he was a good enough trainer to fight the Elite Four and win, and now he was a researcher whose work had helped improve the lives of millions. His creation, the Pokedex have helped thousands of trainers on their journeys as trainers, coordinators, doctors, breeders, anything, you name it. More importantly, even now he was still making contributions to the expansive field of Pokemon.

"Don't worry Gary, I'm sure you'll do fine," said Ash.

"Of course I will, after all, I'm Gary Oak," he said with false arrogance.

Suddenly Ash noticed something over the horizon. Squinting his eyes, he tried to see if he could figure out what it was. Unable to make it out, he tried to pick out any details that could clue him in on what that black stuff in the sky was.

"_Wait, black stuff in the sky...What could it be?"_ he thought.

"Gary, do you see that over there? That thing in the sky over the trees?" he asked, hoping his friend might be able to shed some light on this mystery.

"Hmm, it looks like its smoke, c'mon let's go check it out, it's coming back from Pallett Town!" answered Gary with a sense of urgency.

As the children ran back to town, they both realized with a sinking feeling that the black stuff was smoke. Really, dark smoke that was in the direction of their homes.

"_That's near my house..." _thought Ash worriedly.

They quickly approached the source of the smoke and had to quickly cover their eyes, as wild surging flames whipped at their faces. Tongues of searing flames raged in front of them, blocking the view, as ash and charcoal flew in the air. It was a veritable firestorm that burned in front of their eyes.

"_How was this covered by the trees! This is insane_!" thought Ash_._

Shocked, the two boys locked eyes with each other and tried to make sense of the situation.

For right in front of their eyes, a fire was burning down the Ketchum residence.

"NO! This can't be happening! Mom! Mom! MOM!" shouted Ash as he frantically called for his mom hoping beyond hope that his beloved mother wasn't anywhere in the house.

His frantic shouts were useless, as he couldn't even pierce the loud roar of the flames.

Gary realized the gravity of the situation and quickly grabbed Ash pulling him away from the house before he got any crazy ideas.

"ASH! C'mon, we need to get help! Let's go find my grandpa!" shouted Gary.

Ash merely stared at the flames, his mouth open in shock, while his mind quickly raced to the worst possible conclusion.

"_It's no use, he's not going to be any help, I gotta do it myself," _thought the youngest Oak to himself.

He left Ash and ran back to his grandfather's home, which was right next to the Pokemon ranch.

His grandfather lived separate from his parents because of his duties as a professor and Pokémon researcher. It wasn't unusual for him to be up at the oddest hours of the night because of the Pokemon, whether it is a new discovery he's researching, or merely them needing food or medicine. He also had to stay near the Pokemon at all times to make sure nobody tries to steal them.

While his parents were sad that Professor Oak had to live alone by himself in a different house, they weren't able to cope with his job and other requirements, and knew this was the best possible solution for him.

After reaching the doors, he rang the doorbell a multitude of times. A few moments later, his grandpa's smiling face greeted him.

"Oh good morning Gary, what brings you here?" asked the Professor.

"Ash's house is on fire Grandpa! Come quick!" yelled Gary.

"What! I'll be right there, let me get my Pokemon!" said Oak.

His face rapidly growing grim, Professor Oak quickly ran inside to grab his poke balls.

"_Hmm, Arcanine should be able to get us there in an instant, and then Blastoise would be perfect for putting out the fire. Alakazam would be helpful in searching the area for survivors. These three should be enough_," he thought quickly analyzing the situation.

He ran outside before releasing Arcanine.

As he threw his poke ball on the ground, a giant dog with orange fur, black tiger stripes, and a cream colored mane appeared. It was large enough to carry three people on its back with ease. Its strong muscles, and sharp claws and teeth showed that it was also battle ready.

It barked out a happy, "Arc, Arc."

"Arcanine, I need you to take me and Gary over there to where the smoke is as fast as possible," said Oak seriously.

"Arca, Arc", it barked back to convey it understood.

Arcanine bowed its head low, to allow Gary and his grandpa easy access to its back. They quickly got on, and then gave Arcanine the ok to start running. Dashing with a mix of Agility and Extreme Speed, Arcanine covered the distance in mere seconds.

"That's good Arcanine, thank you," said Oak before he returned Arcanine to his poke ball in a beam of red light.

His eyes widened at seeing the extent of the destruction from the wanton flames. Very little of the wood was left to even support the house, pretty soon it would all collapse inwards. He quickly brought out Blastoise from its poke ball.

A giant blue turtle-like creature appeared with a yellow-cream underbelly. It had a massive brown shell on its back, with an outer white lining, while two giant cannon-esque protrusions pointed from its shell outwards.

It looked around confused at the scene of the fire, before understanding lit its eyes.

"Blastoise, use Hydro Blast to put out the fire, then when most of it is gone, I want you to use water gun to get the remaining small flames!" ordered Oak.

Blastoise prepared itself by charging its cannons, pointing them forward at the fire scene. Its forehead was starting to perspire from the intense flames that were hitting it directly for the several seconds it took to charge up the most powerful water attack in existence. Once it was ready, it fired an extremely powerful blast that pierced the firestorm, impacting on the house, putting out a large number of flames instantly. It repeated this action several times, until most of the fire was put out. Then, it started shooting out a steady stream of water from its mouth with less intensity than before, and aimed it at the remaining flames.

Soon, the fire was put out entirely, and only ash and charcoal remained as reminders of the recent flames. Sadly, the entire house was a reminder, as almost none of the framework of the house remained. Most of the wood had collapsed inwards due to the support structure weakening from the fire. You could see inside, straight to the upstairs bedroom wall, as a huge gaping hole showing what remained of Ash's bedroom, which wasn't much aside from a few walls. The kitchen and 1st floor of the house was completely charred, not a single inch of the outside walls remained untouched. All in all, it was a very dismaying sight to all who saw it.

Oak turned and looked at Gary and Ash who were both silent and wondering what this meant.

"_They need to get away from this and calm down. Staying here will only cause Ash more distress. Gary's company will probably be good for Ash," _he quickly thought.

"Let's get both of you boys home for now while me and Alakazam will figure it out from here," he told them kindly.

Ash didn't offer any resistance and merely gazed out with a hollow look in his eye, while Gary tried to mutter some reassurances to him.

Once he was sure they were going to be alright, he brought out Alakazam from his poke ball.

Out came a creature with a human-esque body structure. It had two feet each with three claws, while its hands had three fingers holding onto silver spoons. The spoons presumably helped it focus its psychic powers. Its large forehead belied the great intelligence and power contained in its large brain. A long moustache flowed around it.

"Alakazam, I need you to use your psychic abilities to help me locate any people in this rubble. If you find anything, I want you to try to remove the rubble as delicately as possible so we can try to maybe save whoever is inside," commanded the Professor.

"Ala-kaZam!" shouted the intelligent psychic Pokémon, as its eyes glowed a bright blue from using its considerable mental capabilities towards the intended task.

Quickly, it located a dying mental signal and locked on to it, using its psychic powers to unravel the rubble like a puzzle, ensuring that its target wasn't further harmed by any of its actions. As it extricated the body, the red hair of Delia Ketchum slowly became visible.

Oak quickly helped his Alakazam settle the woman on the grass, as he learned forward to inspect her wounds.

She was brutally burned across her body, with many third and second degree burns visible from her torn clothes. She seemed lifeless, and on the verge of dying.

Her eye opened suddenly, as she seemed to muster up strength to look around her.

"Wha-where am I? Professor? Is that you?" she said to him, gasping it out in labored breaths.

"It's ok, save your energy Delia, I'll get you to the Ranch and we'll get you patched up alright? Just, just don't close your eyes ok? Stay with me, no matter what you feel ok?" said the Professor, trying to save her life, despite the hopelessness that clouded the situation.

"It's ok Professor...I know I don't have long to live...I just want you to do me one last favor, promise me that you'll do it..." she gasped out to him, smiling grimly.

Sighing deeply to himself, he accepted the truth of the situation. He asked her what her request was, wanting to at the least be able to honor her last wish.

"As you know...my husband has been missing for the past years. Ever since he left on league business, nobody has seen him. He probably doesn't even know that he has a son. Without me, Ash has nobody to take care of him in Pallett Town," she said.

"Nonsense, I can take care of him don't worry, it's no problem! Ash is like family anyways!" said Oak, trying to calm the worries of the dying woman before him.

"No Professor, I couldn't possibly impose on you like that. You already have so many duties and responsibilities as not only a Professor, a Researcher, but also a representative of the Pokemon League. Not to mention you are also the local Pokemon expert and have to constantly ensure you take care of all the Pokemon of the trainers who leave town every year. I could never burden you with a child on top of all your other responsibilities," she quickly reprimanded.

He could only look at her glumly, wondering what to do. Everything she said was true. It was nearly impossible for him to get enough free time to play with his grandson Gary, let alone enough to take care of a child.

"However, there's something I have to tell you. In Viridian City...there's a man who I would trust my life with. He's the only person I could entrust Ash with in this situation, aside from you of course. We haven't spoken in a few years...we had a bit of a falling out on some issues when Ash was born, but he is a good man none-the-less, and someone who I trust implicitly. Please Professor, find him and make sure Ash goes with him...That is all I ask of you," she told him, while her heart ached at the thought of past pains and how she would never get the chance to right them on her own.

"I'll do it Delia, just tell me, who is this man, and what is his name? Why do you trust him so much even though you haven't talked to him in years?" questioned Oak, slightly befuddled.

"Who is he? Well...he's my brother...Giovanni," said Delia.


	2. Giovanni

Chapter 1: Giovanni

Key

"This is speech"

"_These are thoughts_"

* * *

><p>Loud grunts echoed through the room, as two massive beings collided in the center of an arena. A mammoth sized creature with dark purple skin, a long sweeping tail, powerful arms and a long pointy horn on its head stood on one side of the battlefield. On the other was a much smaller, yet just as powerful fighter. He was a peculiar thing, a gray skinned, human shaped creature, with four powerful arms, and small feet made up of two toes. His large muscles bulged as he grappled with the fully evolved Poison Pin Pokemon, trying to find a way to gain an advantage in the deadlock that had occurred between the two powerful Pokemon.<p>

A young boy stood out there cheering his fighter on, trying to figure out some way to help his Pokemon gain an advantage in the battle. Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, a shadowed man stood watching the scene calmly, waiting for the right moment to strike and end the battle.

"You've got this Machamp! Keep pushing! His Nidoking might be strong, but you have the advantage with your four hands. We just need to pick him up off the ground, and then we can slam him and win with Seismic Toss! Then the Earth Badge is ours!" yelled the kid excitedly!

"_Poor boy. He doesn't have any idea who he is dealing with does he?_" thought the shadowed man to himself.

"_I guess I'll just have to show him then. It's been a while since I faced someone this naive and weak. He doesn't even have any sort of a strategy here, he's just trying to bulldoze through with brute strength. He could've tried to weaken Nidoking with some attacks before trying something as audacious as a full on charge._

_Usually trainers are better than this, which makes sense considering I'm technically the final gym to beat. I guess I'm expecting more from him since he has a fully evolved Pokemon, but then again, he probably just traded for a Machoke and got lucky," _he thought to himself.

"Nidoking, enough of this drama. Hyper Beam now!" echoed the voice of the man, as he decided to finally end this farce of a battle.

The large purple Pokémon immediately perked up its ears at the command, and seemed almost to grin malevolently at the suddenly nervous Machamp, as it opened its mouth and started to charge up a large amount of energy.

The kid seemed to be shocked that his opponent was willing to use such a dangerous attack at almost point blank range. At that distance both Pokemon would sustain damage. His mind raced through his options, and as he wasted time, he noticed that the glow surrounding the orb of energy in the Nidoking's mouth was getting brighter. Just as he finally thought of interrupting the attack, Nidoking unleashed it with a furious cry.

"Nido-KING!" it seemed to roar, as it fired the energy beam from its mouth at the fighting type at point blank range.

BOOM!

A cloud of smoke covered the field, blocking both sides from viewing the results of the attack. Slowly the smoke parted, and they could see a large creature stood tall, panting over the body of its defeated opponent.

"Nido, Nido-KING!" roared the Nidoking in satisfaction that it had defeated the troublesome foe that had been making it expend energy for the past twenty minutes.

Now they could clearly see that Machamp lay knocked out on the floor, swirly eyes being the only indicator that it wasn't able to fight any longer.

"Machamp...return," the boy said, before he ran away trying to save face at the brutal defeat he was given.

The man stood up and recalled his Nidoking. He then started to walk away from the battlefield towards a door, which led to his study room, finally revealing himself to be the Viridian City gym leader, Giovanni.

He was a tall man, standing at an impressive height, shy just two inches of six feet. His hair was kept very short, almost like a bowl cut, except it was smoothed back with gel. He was just a mere twenty four years of age, yet his face belied the rough experiences he had to go through to reach where he currently was. His face was very sharp looking, with an out of look place of age and experience on a relatively young man. He wore a black suit, over a white shirt, and had dark black leather shoes underneath. His eyes were his most impressive feature, as in them shined a fiery glint of determination and greed, that drew you in. His eyes belied the charismatic spirit that he'd used to gain many followers.

"_Sometimes I wonder if being a gym leader is worth all the trouble that came with it. I mean, I constantly have to bear with battling these amateur trainers for that pathetic Pokemon League Challenge. This is such a drain on my time; I could probably be doing so many better things. Then again...the benefits do outweigh all the drawbacks. As gym leader, I'm practically a force of my own, with my word carrying a lot of weight here in Viridian City. The salary isn't too bad either. Of course, all that pales in comparison to the sheer amount of resources at my disposal as gym leader. Not to mention it keeps suspicion off of me for my...more unsavory activities," _he thought.

The life of a gym leader was quite difficult, fraught with constant battles and training to meet the standards required by the Pokemon League for its annual conference. Gym leaders had to ensure that they were able to ensure that the trainers that came to them, left having grown in some way, whether it be in learning a lesson about battling, training, or even just having to make their Pokemon extremely strong to succeed.

With each hurdle that was passed by the trainer, there was a certain standard expected of them, so that by the time one completed the challenge and had eight badges, they would be at a respectable level and could comfortably compete in the Indigo Plateau conference. Winners of the conference gained the right to go on and fight the Elite Four and challenge them for their positions. Should they succeed, they could go even further and try to become the Regional Champion.

However, in return for the serious commitment made by gym leaders, the League administrators rewarded them handsomely, with extremely high salaries, a wealth of resources, and access to very high level clearance. Unfortunately, or fortunately, there was another darker side to this story. To the average person, the Pokemon League's intent with the national conference seemed to be to determine who the greatest Pokemon trainer was. However, like all governments, which the Pokemon League that governed over Kanto could easily be seen as, they needed tools to extend their influence and project their will.

In reality, this whole scheme was intended to be like a very large scale boot camp. With every year, the challenge was in fact training soldiers that would help keep the peace. Successful trainers would often return to their towns, and take up jobs relating to Pokemon while protecting the area from wild Pokemon attacks. Trainers that became truly good at battling may even become good enough to eventually become gym leaders themselves. Some were even offered jobs by the Pokemon League to go in different areas of the world that needed exploration. Others would be taken in to research Pokemon and discover as much as they could about them.

The Elite Four were a more prestigious tool, as befit their high rank. They were like the Pokemon League's personal right hand, as they would investigate criminal activities or try and prevent natural disasters. The Champion was usually left alone to try to keep morale up and inspire the new generation of trainers, although he was sometimes called away for truly dangerous missions, like defending a town from a Legendary Pokemon.

The world was a truly dangerous place, with all kinds of wild Pokemon out there. Although most Pokemon were peaceful, there were just as many powerful Pokemon out there that had succumbed to their baser instincts and wouldn't hesitate to attack people. If the League didn't have the current system, then it's very likely that society would fall apart from being unable to deal with all the crazy instances that would occur, like Pokemon swarms, or migration patterns, or even the rare Legendary Pokemon phenomena.

This is all considering the current peaceful climate of the various regions. Heaven forbid that the other regions decide to become belligerent for some reason and attack them. In that case, the Elite Four and the Champion would be their first line of defense from the invasion, and all the various trainers would be the soldiers that defended the rest of Kanto.

Usually it was impossible to imagine war occurring on such a massive scale, but often situations would arise where tensions would be high. In such situations, it wasn't difficult to see the possibility occurring one day. The lifestyles of the different regions were quite different, especially due to the different Pokemon that populated them. Their cultures differed to some degree as well, as they each had their own myths and legends that they believed in.

Kanto's legends revolved around the Mother of all Pokemon Mew and the three legendary birds who kept balance of the elements, Moltres, Articuno, and Zapdos. Johto's legends revolved around the two legendary birds who were said to be opposites, Lugia and Ho-oh. Hoenn's revolved around the creators of the elements themselves, Groudon of the Land, Kyogre of the Sea, and Rayquaza of the Sky. Sinnoh believed in Arceus, a Pokemon said to be the God that created the very world and all of its inhabitants. These very different beliefs often clashed as different groups believed differently on which belief system was correct. It was a source of pride to be home to the Legendaries who created the world, and each region took great pride in their Pokemon. It wasn't difficult for them to be suspicious towards each other because of their different Pokemon.

The man stopped reminiscing about his job and decided to relax in his study. Like most gym leaders, he lived in his gym. That wasn't to say he didn't have a separate house where he sometimes lived in when on vacation, but he usually lived in his gym to avoid wasting time when he had to deal with challengers.

As he sat down in his comfortable chair, a large creamy white colored cat leapt into his arms. A red jewel adorned its forehead, while its large ears perked up in happiness at being back in its favorite resting place.

Giovanni petted it on its head, getting it to purr in contentment. The man let out a smirk at the thought of how spoiled his Pokemon was. Unlike the other Pokemon he kept merely for battling, this one had a special place in his heart.

Before he was the proud gym leader he was today, he was a poor boy with no valuable skills. Nobody wanted to take in a boy like him. He wasn't even a Pokemon trainer so he couldn't even stay at a Pokemon center on the League's money. That's when he met a stray Meowth on the streets of Viridian City. Out of pity he had given it some food, seeing its pitiful state. It had immediately attached itself to him and stuck to following him around.

At first, he had tried to get it to leave him alone, as he didn't have money to take care of himself, let alone a pet Meowth. It wouldn't budge though, so eventually he decided to make the best of it. He decided he'd try training it so that they could take part in the underground battling rings of Viridian City, and earn some money.

From there, the two quickly bonded as Meowth fought battle after battle, getting stronger and better until no challenger remained to their power. Giovanni soon became king of the underground and Meowth had evolved into a Persian.

Having finally settled himself down in a position of power, he turned his sights towards the city around him. The city had been a place of great corruption as undesirable elements populated the streets everywhere. It was a pretty bad place to live, to state the least. There hadn't even been a gym as it wasn't a safe enough zone for the League to sanction an official outpost yet. Due to this, there wasn't even any law or order that governed the place. It was a lawless town ruled by its criminal elements.

He'd quickly decided he would clean up the city, as it was no benefit to him as it currently remained. He used his influence in the underground to control the criminal elements that were causing the problems. Gambling joints, brothels, and Pokemon traffickers quickly found their operations raided by the newly formed police, led by Giovanni. Those that he couldn't control were swiftly locked up in prison, while those who swore him loyalty were secretly led away by his paid officers. They became part of his army, the new criminal organization Team Rocket.

His agents slowly spread to various areas, where they watched for anything he may be interested in, helping him further his goals. When the remaining law abiding citizens of Viridian City saw how he'd cleaned up Viridian City, they immediately petitioned the League to make him an official as a reward for his services to the city.  
>Seizing the opportunity, he decided to ask the League to make a gym in the city, and appoint him the official gym leader for Viridian City. Already, he could see just how good a position he'd been put in. As gym leader, he'd not only gained access to all kinds of new information on Pokemon, but he'd also managed to ensure nobody would connect the beloved Viridian City gym leader with the sinister leader of Team Rocket. The added income from the gym also helped boost his reputation with the people of the city as well, as now more traffic was diverted to Viridian City by all the new trainers who needed the Earth Badge.<p>

So far his operations have been running smooth, as nobody was even aware that Team Rocket existed. The anonymity with which most of his crimes had been committed only served to help him, as nobody knew who or what to look for. Without a target, all the searching that the League did merely wasted its resources, as he left no evidence behind of any of his doings. Nobody would ever be able to track him, since they didn't even know what his organization was. It had drawbacks as it made recruiting difficult, since they weren't infamous yet, but until they had amassed enough power to directly challenge the League, they were better off remaining underground.

Shaking himself out of his musings, he smiled fondly at Persian. It was in thanks to Persian's hard work back then that he'd reached where he currently was, and he never hesitated to show his gratitude to Persian. He'd already promised himself that he'd never force Persian to have to battle to earn his keep. He'd already done more than enough, and deserved some pampering, so he allowed Persian to maintain the lavish, high class lifestyle of a spoiled cat.

He heard his videophone start to ring suddenly. Annoyed at the interruption, he put Persian down on the chair and told it he'd be back shortly. As he walked over to the videophone he wondered who could possibly be calling him today.

"_It can't be the mayor. He already talked to me yesterday about the changes he wanted to implement in the city, and I already gave him the go-ahead. Nobody's complained about my methods of running my gym yet, so it can't be the League. The Pokemon Center's Nurse Joy better not be the one calling me, I tire of her suggestions to take it easier on the challengers. If they cannot even defeat Nidoking, then they don't deserve to go ahead to the Pokemon League Conference, it's as simple as that. So then, who could it be?" _he wondered.

He hit the answer button on the videophone, and picked up the phone, while looking ahead into the camera that was centered near the top of the screen. As he did so, a live video feed suddenly displayed on his screen showing a man with gray spiky hair that pointed diagonally to his head. He was wearing a white coat, over a purple shirt and brown work pants. He had a troubled look on his face, like he'd recently gone through some sort of hardship. After a second or two, Giovanni recognized him as Professor Oak, a national expert on Pokemon who also participated in League meetings and fulfilled some duties.

"Ah, Professor Oak, it has been a while since we have seen each other. In fact, if I last remember, we had parted ways when our views clashed on the best way to raise a Pokemon in the last research conference? What led you to calling me today?" asked Giovanni with a smirk on his face at one of the bigger obstacles in his path towards his goals.

Oak had always believed that raising a Pokemon with love and affection would lead to the best results in the Pokémon's growth. Giovanni himself didn't fully agree, as he felt that one needed to be harsh and ruthless in training a Pokemon. Coddling the Pokemon with too much affection would keep it soft. If you tried to act like you were partners, the Pokemon would never respect you enough to fully obey you, you had to be in a master and tool relationship, as that was the only way to bring out the Pokémon's full potential and make it tough enough to be the best. It was the way he'd trained Meowth, through relentless training against opposing odds, and what some may claim to be cruel circumstances. If he'd coddled it back then, they wouldn't have survived.

"I called you because I wanted to know if you remember anybody with the name Delia Ketchum. She directed me to get in touch with you," he said to Giovanni.

"_Delia...I haven't thought about her in years...not since that night. Why would she want Oak to find me?" _he wondered privately.

"Why? What does she want from me?" he asked in a perturbed tone.

The man on the monitor seemed to sag down with stress as he spoke his next few words, trying to say what he wanted in the most delicate manner.

"Well...Delia died three days ago," he said.

The gym leader's face broke from its smirk into an expression of deep shock. His eyes widened and he suddenly clutched the phone in his hand tightly. His eyes seemed to dance with emotion as the emotional turmoil he experienced from those words was immediately apparent to the silent Professor.

"Wha-what! Delia...How could she be dead! She was living safe in that suburban village, Pallet Town!" he cried out in shock.

Delia, his sister couldn't be dead. He had tried to keep himself from thinking about her the past several years because he'd wanted to ensure that he never faltered in his determination to succeed and achieve his goals. He knew she wouldn't approve of what he was doing, and he was afraid that she might even be able to convince him to leave his life of crime. She was his greatest weakness...and if not for that night when they had argued fiercely over what to do several years ago, he might've been in a much different place right now.

The professor looked down as he spoke, "From what we've managed to piece together from what remained of the house, it appears that she was cooking breakfast with a new experimental stove that used the power crystallized in a fire stone to allow for a better, cheaper flame. Unfortunately, we're assuming she left it unattended for some while, when it seemed to malfunction and drew on too much power. Her fire stone seemed to be defective and unstable, and seemed to explode, releasing all of its energy outwards, starting a fire that spread quickly through the house. By the time I got there, she was already on her death bed. Her last wish was for me to contact you."

Giovanni couldn't stand to look at the screen anymore. He quickly turned around trying to hide his tears at the cruelty fate dealt him. He'd been hoping that eventually when he was able to succeed and finish his goals, he could go make up with Delia, and they could be a family again. Now, he'd never have that opportunity.

"Why...Why did she want you to contact me? It couldn't have been just for the funeral," he asked confused.

"Well...I'm not sure if you're aware of this or not, but Delia had a son named Ash. Her husband has been missing for several years...and so she wanted you to take care of Ash for her as her dying wish. I know it's a big responsibility, but Delia said there was no one she could trust with Ash besides you, "answered the Professor, hoping that the man wouldn't say no.

Instantly Giovanni turned back to the screen as his whole body shook with rage.

"A son! She had a son with that man! How could she, after he left her for the League! That bastard didn't deserve her!" yelled Giovanni at the screen.

The thought of that man enraged every fiber of his being. He was the only who could make him completely lose his cool without even trying. Even now, being thousands of miles away, that man still managed to get to him.

"_But then...she wants ME to take care of her son. Even after our fight and all these years of separation, she still trusts me to raise her child. I-I can't refuse, but I don't know the first thing about raising a kid...I'll decide when I get there, right now I need time to think,"_ he thought to himself, calming down at the sobering thought.

"I'll be at Pallett Town in a day. I want to see her and Ash before I make my decision," he stated solemnly before turning the video screen off and losing himself in memory of better times.

* * *

><p>AN: So, a bit of a look at how Giovanni reached his current position along with more insight into the Pokemon World. It's starting out slowly, but next chapter will be the last slow one before it kicks off straight into the main arc of Kanto. I have the story planned out in 85% of its content all the way to the last chapter of this story. The next part, with JohtoHoenn will depend on a few ideas that I need to pan out before I decide fully.

A lot of the events that occur will be different. This won't just be Ash with a different personality going from Pallett Town to the different gyms with Misty and Brock. A lot of events will happen differently, and I may not even have him travel with the two, since Ash is a different person, so he won't make the same choices. That's not to say they won't play a part in this story, but it won't be the same role as in the series. As for the movies, well, this will incorporate some movies, and may leave others out. You'll see the reasons why later on with Ash's character.

Also, someone was confused last chapter, Ash is 6 when Delia dies, the two years later comment was meant to refer to it had been two years since Blue had met the family, as in he was four when he met them.


	3. Aftermath and Goodbyes

Chapter 2: Aftermath and Goodbyes

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or anything mentioned in the story. None of them are my works.

Key

"This is speech"

"_These are thoughts_"

* * *

><p>Professor Oak sighed when he saw the screen turn off after Giovanni ended the videophone conversation they were having. The past few days had not been easy for the old Professor. The stress kept piling up, as he'd had to deal with the funeral preparations for Delia, as well as somehow trying to help Ash out of his self-imposed isolation.<p>

They'd decided after the fire that it would be best for now if Ash stayed with Professor Oak at his ranch. Blue and Gary wanted Ash to stay with them, but their house only had enough room for the two of them. They also felt that maybe they should give Ash some time to grieve for his mother. They believed staying at their home wouldn't be a good idea, considering the wreckage of Ash's old home was in plain sight from their windows.

Unfortunately, time and space didn't seem to help Ash get over the incident. Ever since the fire, he had locked himself in one of Professor Oak's spare guest rooms and refused to come out except for dinner. What's worse, when he did come out, he looked completely exhausted and drained. Professor Oak had tried to make him open up and let out his emotions, but Ash didn't even seem to listen. He seemed lost in his thoughts and kept staring past everybody, barely acknowledging the people around him. The only time he seemed to even be aware of himself was when he ate, and even then pain seemed to flash across his face.

It was a delicate situation, as nobody knew what to do with him. What's worse was that Ash had even taken to tuning out Gary. If anybody could pierce the cloud of negativity surrounding Ash, it was Gary, but even that venue seemed to fail.

Oak thought to himself, "_If Ash doesn't recover by the funeral, I don't know what I'm going to do. I have no idea how Giovanni is going to react when he meets Ash. Ash's shattered state doesn't help things, because I don't know if it'll swing things in his favor for Giovanni's decision to take Ash in. On one hand, maybe it'll appeal to his sense of family, seeing how broken Ash is and how much he needs a strong support to help him get over the shock. On the other, Giovanni could panic and decide that it's too much trouble, and Ash isn't worth the hassle. I wish I knew him a little bit better, or that Delia had talked about him before. Right now he's a complete mystery to me._"

Well, maybe not a complete mystery. The professor had heard him speak at the annual Pokemon League research conferences. He seemed to be a proponent of the idea that Pokemon are tools for people to command. All of his proposals were quite harsh, and seemed to bank on the fact that a Pokemon would obey its master completely. He didn't take into account things like feelings and emotions, or even the sacred bond between Trainer and Pokemon. To him, Pokemon were only as useful as they were strong. A typical might makes right proponent, one could say.

However, the interesting thing was that his reputation was the complete opposite. Oak didn't know anything about Giovanni himself seeing as he'd never truly gotten to know the man, but everything he knew was based on the rumors of the man. He'd heard of how he ran a tight shift in Viridian City the past few years, managing to turn the crime ravaged city into a respectable tourist spot. Even more impressive, he'd managed to get the League to build a gym in the city. Ever since he became gym leader, he'd led the gym, as well as the city, to new heights in prosperity.

Of course, as much as the people of Viridian City loved him, the trainers hated him. Unlike most other gyms, Giovanni didn't coddle the challengers and give them easy wins. There was no moral, no secret lesson to be taught in his gym. He didn't impart the value of any secret battle technique or any such wisdom. To win in his gym, one needed sheer strength. Enough strength to remain standing steadfast like the Earth against the coming trials. The Earth Badge was the last hurdle before fledgling trainers would be granted entrance into the Indigo Plateau Conference. With that came the burden of ensuring the trainers who beat Giovanni were worthy of battling there. Giovanni took his job seriously, and didn't allow just anybody to get the badge. To earn it, one had to defeat his Pokemon in battle completely, a task that was not easy.

Unlike most other gyms, his Pokemon couldn't be beaten with simple type advantages. They'd grown and excelled from his harsh training regiment, to become some of the highest ranked in the entire League's gym leader roster, able grow past their weaknesses. Even worse, Giovanni often had his Pokemon use suicidal tactics with little regard to their own safety. Things like point blank Hyper Beams, Explosions and Self-Destructs were common-place and often prevented new trainers from grasping a decisive victory. Sometimes, the battle would end in a draw which was the same as utter defeat for the challenger due to Giovanni's victory condition. Only true defeat would cause him to give out an Earth Badge. He tried to balance out the sheer difficulty of his gym by making it a one on one battle, winner take all. Some would say this worked against many new trainers who wouldn't realize they'd made a mistake until it had already cost them the match. Even worse was that the man only gave you one chance a month. Most gyms had varying policies on how often one was allowed to re challenge the gym leader. Giovanni's policy made it so most trainers who got to his gym late near the registration deadline for the Indigo Plateau Conference only had one shot at victory.

The man warily pondered, "_If I go by rumors, then I can't be entirely sure that this man is the best choice to raise Ash. Damn it all, there's no other option though. If only I could take time off of work, then I could take care of Ash until he starts his journey and then everything would be fine. I don't like giving Ash over to some random stranger who I've never personally known, but I guess there has to be something good about him if Delia trusts him so much. I guess I'll just have to put my trust into Delia."_

As he looked out the window, he suddenly realized how dark it was outside. The sun had set in the amount of time he'd spent speaking to Giovanni and thinking on the current situation. Pretty soon it would be time for dinner and he'd need to remind Ash that eating was a necessity yet again.

"_Guess it's time to get Ash. It's so strange to be the one to have to force Ash to eat food. Before the incident, he'd always be the first one ready to chow down,"_ he thought sadly to himself, his heart going out to the troubled young youth.

* * *

><p>He couldn't believe it. Even now, he couldn't understand how everything could go so horribly wrong in such a short span of time. Why did he have to be the one to suffer? Why did their life have to be ruined so abruptly? What heinous crime had they committed that Mew was punishing them for?<p>

They didn't have much, just a small house, some savings, and of course, each other. He didn't have the best life. He didn't have many friends, or even a father to help raise him or show him the difference between right and wrong. Yet, it was enough for him, because he'd had his loving mom. He could still hear her calling out his name in that loving tone as she cooked him his favorite food, ready to call him in for dinner.

Then in one fell swoop she was gone. It was a very shocking change, especially considering he wasn't even old enough to truly understand death. All he knew, from what Professor Oak had explained, was that his mother was gone and most definitely wouldn't be coming back. Despite how shocked he was when the Professor explained it to him, he'd already come to a similar sinking realization when he'd seen the blazing fire raging through his house. He knew his mom wasn't some sort of super hero. She wasn't a Pokemon either. People didn't go through fires and come out just like that. Just like when he accidently touched the baking pan in a haste to get at the fresh cookies his mom made, his hand would get burned. He knew his mother had to have felt an even worse pain from the flames that were probably much hotter than what he'd experienced.

It made him so angry. He was full of rage and frustration at everything. He was mad at the company that made the new stove his mom was using. He was mad at fate for making the firestone explode. He was even mad at himself, for being so weak, so helpless, and so utterly worthless in that moment when he arrived at the fire. He couldn't even muster up the will to get the Professor to come help like Gary had. Instead he'd merely stood there, staring at the flames like an utterly worthless loser.

Then, just like that he felt the anger drain away, replaced only by shame, self-disgust, and a wide encompassing numbness. He felt like he'd let his mother down, he couldn't do anything right.

A knock dislodged him from his self-hating thoughts. He turned his head towards the window and saw it was getting to be quite late. The Professor was probably here to make him eat. Despite how much the Professor urged him, he just couldn't muster up an appetite anymore. He felt bad, being such a burden on the kind man, and hoped he could figure out what he was going to do with himself after the funeral. He knew he couldn't stay here and drain the man's meager resources.

He wasn't surprised when he opened the door to see Professor Oak standing there, although his expression did seem strange. The man had an uncomfortable look on his face, like he was dreading what he was about to do or say.

"Hello Professor, is something the matter? You seem troubled, well more troubled than before," inquired Ash, curious to know what was bothering the elderly researcher.

The man took a deep breath, and seemed to let it out like it was a very strenuous task. His expression shifted and became slightly more serious, yet remained somber.

"Ash, can we talk?" he said, seeming to be quite stressed.

Ash nodded and the two took a seat facing each other on the bed, before letting their gazes fall around the room. Neither wanted to really broach the issue, Ash because he was afraid to know what was going to happen to him and the Professor because he didn't know how to break the news to Ash about his uncle.

After several minutes of silence in which the Professor gathered his thoughts, he finally spoke, "Ash. I know now isn't the best time to talk about this, you still haven't gotten over...what's happened and you're also feeling confused and lost. It's not easy dealing with something like this. I know because...well something similar happened to me when I was a foolhardy young trainer in my youth. Not many know this, but I had a sister once. Her name was Daisy. We were very close, and yet at the same time, we could barely stand each other."

The professor laughed derisively, "In those days I fancied myself to be a real hot shot trainer, someone who was really powerful and skilled. I thought I could take on the world. I believed I was invincible. I had just beaten some members of the Elite Four, and decided to do something crazy. I thought I'd challenge the legendary bird of fire, Moltres. I believed myself to be such a great trainer, that I thought I could defeat the Dark Phoenix of Kanto."

Ash's eyes widened. The Professor had a sister? And he'd fought Moltres? This wasn't something he'd ever heard of before, as none of the big stories about the great Oak detailed an encounter with the legendary fire bird of Kanto or any important family.

He looked Ash in the eye now, completely serious, "Do you understand the complete scope Ash, of what I felt I could do? I meant to tame the very creature, whose flame can burn for an entire year. The same creature who could eclipse the sun if it so wished, by unleashing its own light from its unholy flame. It is said that Moltres' body burns hotter than even Ho-oh's Sacred Fire. Looking back, I can't help but question my sanity. I a mere human had chosen to challenge a God. A God Ash, because that is what the Legendaries are, they are far too powerful to be anything less than a God."

He seemed to take a deep breath now, as he continued his story," Daisy didn't want me to go. She thought I was crazy for trying to do something so utterly stupid. When I was leaving, she made me take her with me. I guess she thought that if she came, I'd get cold feet, or maybe she'd be able to talk me out of doing it. If anything, her presence only strengthened my resolve as I decided I couldn't let myself be humiliated in front of my sister by turning around before we even reached the cave where Moltres was recently sighted.

When we got there, I scoped out the area and I tried to see if Alakazam could sense Moltres. I thought we'd be able to find it, plan an ambush, and attack it before it realized we were there. We gravely underestimated Moltres and paid dearly for it."

The Professor had a haunted look now, as he seemed to relive some great horror. His words now came out in a very hollow tone, "The power...the sheer power that Moltres released, it was like nothing I'd ever seen before. I'd heard the legends of course, but one cannot truly grasp the difference in power between us and them until one sees it personally. When I had my Gyarados use a Waterfall attack, it did nothing to Moltres. They are so powerful, that a type advantage doesn't matter at all, unless of course it is another Legendary facing them. With a mere cry of fury, Moltres unleashed such flames, that they burned straight through my Gyarados, leaving nothing but plasma behind. The sheer heat of the flames had caused almost all of the oxygen to be swallowed by the flames, and I passed out mere moments later. My Alakazam had barely managed to grab me and use a quick teleport to get us out of there...but he couldn't grab Daisy in time.

When I came to, I was back in Pallet Town, and my Alakazam quickly explained the situation to me. After that day, I gave up my trainer license, ashamed at what my arrogance had done. I turned my eyes towards the field of research, hoping that my experiences could allow me to help new trainers, as well as help me forget what I'd done."

Ash's face softened as he felt pity for the Professor. At the same time he wondered what the Professor's point was. Sure, they both lost someone important to each other, but they're situations weren't really that similar. He lost his mom to a freak accident, while the Professor lost his sister because of his own arrogance.

He continued sadly, "Now granted, there are some differences in our situations, but I know what you're going through. However, I want to make sure you don't make the same mistakes I did. I never owned up to my mistake, instead I ran away from my problems, even changing my entire career just so I'd never have to deal with it again. You need to grieve and get over the incident Ash. Don't be like me and keep running away."

He thought to himself, "_Hopefully my words can help him. Now's probably not the best time to spring the news of his uncle on him, I'll tell him after dinner."_

They then proceeded to head downstairs and eat. The food wasn't anything special, Professor Oak was no cooking genius after all. It was a simple rice and curry, one of the simplest dishes that Professor Oak had learned to make during his travels. After dinner was finished, the professor put away the dishes and stopped Ash before he went back upstairs. It was clear to him that Ash had been thinking on his words, and was going to be pondering them for at least the rest of the night.

"Ash, there's something else I need to tell you. It's regarding your future," he said.

Ash looked back and seemed to furrow his eyebrows as he wondered what the Professor needed to tell him. His words regarding the incident were still running through his head, and he didn't really know what to make of anything. He didn't even want to think about what he'd do in a few days when the Professor would inevitably tell him to leave. He had no home, he had no money, and he had nobody to turn to. In short, his life was ruined.

"What is it Professor?" he asked, deciding to get the conversation over with quickly so he could head back upstairs and figure out what he was going to do with his life.

"You see Ash, when your mom...passed away, she made a request of me. She wanted me to ensure that you were safe, and would have a home to go to. Sadly, I myself cannot provide this home, due to my overwhelming duties and responsibilities. Even if I could, I wouldn't be able to keep you here since my salary as a researcher is quite low, just enough for me to live off of. Most of the money I use comes in the form of grants from the Pokemon League to finance different research endeavors. However, it seems we are in luck, because tomorrow someone is coming here to meet you and then hopefully, take you home with them," he said ending in an upbeat tone.

Unfortunately, Ash seemed even more confused at the news, as he wondered who would possibly want to take him in.

"Wait, who is coming tomorrow? Why would they want to take me in? It's not like I have any relatives, and my dad's been missing for years? So who is it?" asked Ash, wondering if he was such a burden that the Professor was willing to give him away to a random stranger.

He responded nonchalantly, "Well, as it turns out, you have an uncle who is the gym leader of Viridian City. His name is Giovanni, and I'm hoping that the two of you can get along well enough to live with each other."

Ash froze as he heard he had an uncle. His head was suddenly filled with questions wondering just who this man Giovanni was, and why his mother had never spoken of him Ash was lost in his thoughts again, and having prepared him for tomorrow's encounter, the famous researcher took his leave, leaving Ash to his thoughts.

* * *

><p>The next day dawned brightly, yet Ash didn't feel like getting out of bed. He'd been plagued all night long by questions. He'd even started to become nervous, for a number of reasons. He didn't have any idea who this Giovanni person was, nor did he know how the man would react when he met him. Would he like him? Would he be annoyed by him? What kind of a man was he? He was apparently a gym leader, so he had to be powerful and skilled, but how was he as a person? Most prominent in his mind was the question on why he'd never been involved in his life before.<p>

After realizing that he wouldn't be able to get any more sleep while all of these questions once again filled his head, he decided to get ready for the day. As he proceeded through his morning routine, he was filled with a very annoying anxiousness. He was nervous to face the day, and yet he couldn't help but wish that the man would get here already so that he could finally put his questions to rest.

After several hours of waiting in the house, he heard a loud whirring sound coming from outside. Turning his head, he went to go look out the window and see what was making the loud racket. As he looked, he could see a large, black helicopter was right outside the ranch. Its rotors spun as it lowered itself and landed on the grassy meadow, the whirs of the rotors dying down as the pilot turned off the air vehicle.

Out stepped a man in a sleek black suit, looking to the entire world like the CEO of a major company. He had an impassive look on his face, and in his hands he carried a Persian that he put on the ground. It strutted around him, rubbing its head on the man's legs.

Ash's heart started pounding as he wondered if this man was Giovanni. He sure seemed to have style, looking at his clothes and his manner of entrance. He had a very serious manner, although he seemed to be glancing around the ranch in keenly veiled interest, gazing at the various Pokemon in their habitats.

Ash stepped away from the window and went to go let the Professor know about the visitor. Fortunately, he was already outside tending to some of the Pokemon. Oak walked over to the man and they seemed to talk about something. After a few moments, Oak called out to Ash and beckoned him over.

* * *

><p>Giovanni looked around the ranch, spotting a wide variety of different Pokemon.<p>

"_So this is the famous Oak Ranch. I'd heard that over sixty different species are tended to here daily by the Professor. Quite an impressive feat when one takes into account the sheer diversity of skills required to maintain all of them. I wonder how long it took him to build such an extensive collection,"_ he thought, his eyes taking in the various breeds.

It was an awe inspiring sight, seeing how most trainers never had more than seven or eight different Pokemon. Even gym leaders usually only kept two teams of six so that they could cycle out their Pokemon between battles. It made sense since taking care of that many Pokemon was difficult in itself, taking care of anything upwards would prevent a trainer from managing all of his Pokemon. Thus, seeing fifty different breeds coexisting simultaneously in a man-made habitat was truly an exciting experience, possible only because of the Professor's recently developed stasis technology.

Utilizing the ability of the Poke Ball to store Pokemon, it ensured that when placed in his machine, the Pokemon in the Poke Ball would be placed in a cryogenic stasis that kept it safe. This helped him coordinate taking care of the Pokemon, as he wouldn't be swamped with work, he could study the Pokemon in peace, and the Pokemon would remain healthy too while in stasis.

Giovanni spotted the Professor making his way towards him and decided to greet him. Meanwhile, Persian was making its way around the meadow, curious about its new surroundings.

Giovanni spoke in a crisp voice, "Hello Professor."

The Professor replied, "Hello Giovanni."

A tense silence settled over them, neither having any idea on how to talk regarding their sudden connection through the now dead Delia.

After a few moments, Giovanni asked the Professor with barely concealed anxiousness, "Can I see him? Delia's boy I mean."

"Ah yes of course, let me just call him out here. I haven't told him much about you. All he knows is that you're his uncle and the Viridian City gym leader," said the Professor breezily, deciding to leave things up to fate.

"Hmm now where is that boy? Ah there he is, Ash come join us!" he called out, while beckoning with his hands for the boy to come over to them.

Giovanni watched with interest as a young boy, probably around the age of five or six ran to them from inside the house. Giovanni was shocked, the boy was a carbon copy of _that_ man. He had the same black hair spiking off to the sides, he had the same dark brown eyes, and he even had those damnable z marks on his cheeks just like that damned Red. It maddened him seeing what looked like his sworn enemy reborn right in front of him, and yet his eyes caught what they had previously missed. The boy was weak. He didn't have the same confidence and determination that Red had. What's more, he was looking uncertainly at Giovanni as if he was unsure of what to expect.

Silently assessing his newly found nephew, Giovanni thought, "_No, I'm being silly. They might look similar, but they are two completely different people. Red is a full blown champion and the boy is but a child. Not to mention, he's an orphan whose been abandoned by his father, and his mother's dead. Hmm to be honest, it reminds me of myself a little bit, only I guess you could say my situation was a little bit reversed. Not that that bastard Red helped anything. Him and his damn meddling ways."_

"Are you, are you my uncle?" the boy asked with his head down, shockingly behaving shyly.

"Well, I'll just leave you two to get acquainted with one another. If you need anything, I'll be in my lab," interjected Professor Oak before he quickly made haste in leaving the awkward meeting.

Giovanni sighed deeply, and turned his eyes to the boy before speaking, "Yes, I am your mother's brother. My name is Giovanni. I have no last name because I didn't want anything to connect me to my mother who had abandoned me and your mother early in your childhood."

The boy turned his sad eyes towards the man and asked, "If you're my uncle, then why have I never met you before? Why did you never visit me? Did you not love me and my mom?"

The man seemed to shrink back at the accusing look in the boy's eyes before pondering whether he should reveal the reason behind the huge rift between him and Delia. Deciding he might as well explain himself, seeing as how he'd possibly be living with the boy soon he spoke, "Well, you see, your mother and I had a big fight many years ago. This was even before you were born. We were fighting about stupid stuff and neither of us wanted to back down. Your mother was being her usual stubborn self, while I just didn't think she was making the right choice. At the time, she decided she didn't want to have anything to do with me. By the time we both realized what was happening, she was walking out of Viridian City leaving me there staring at her back. She didn't leave alone of course; she left with your father. That's the last I'd heard of her, all I knew though was that she said she was going to go live in Pallet Town. We never spoke after that day, and so a rift appeared between us. I wanted some days to visit Pallet and see her, but I couldn't work up the nerve. I didn't even know that you existed until yesterday."

"So you knew my father?" asked Ash hopeful that he might get some info on the man he knew relatively nothing about.

Giovanni replied, "Yeah, I knew him. We didn't really get along too well though."

"Why's that? Was he a bad guy or something?" asked Ash getting a loud hearty laugh from Giovanni.

"That's a funny thought; I can't imagine that idiot ever committing any crime. Anyways, enough about him, let's get to know who _you_ are Ash. After all, I _have_ missed out on six years of your life. What's your dream?" he asked, getting a laugh at the irony in the question.

Ash thought deeply about the question and wondered what his dream really was now. Last week he would've probably said that he wanted to be a Pokemon Master, so that everybody would pay for ignoring him. Looking back on the past few days, could he say that he still strives to the same petty dream? Did the acknowledgement of unknown strangers really matter to him as much?

Thinking on the past few days, only one thing strikes out to Ash. He never wanted to feel that helpless ever again. Being powerless like that still shook him to his core. He couldn't do anything, couldn't stop the fire. All he could was sit there watching in horror.

He looked up with fierce determination on his face and said, "I wanna be...strong. No not just strong, I wanna be the very best, like no one ever was. To become so powerful, that nobody can touch me. I never want to be helpless ever again."

A smirk settling on his face, Giovanni thought, "_Hmm, there it is. It's that same glint that Red had...I guess he truly is his son after all, in both body and mind. I wonder if he inherited his skills with Pokemon...No matter how much I hate that man, I can't deny he was one hell of a good trainer."_

"You're interesting kid, looks like you have big dreams. I'll help you, if you want my help that is. I don't know if Professor Oak told you, but your mom wanted me to take care of you. I want to do this to make up for the past few years of not being here. Come with me to Viridian City. I know it isn't an easy decision, but I know you won't regret it. I can help you reach your dream, as a gym leader I have a lot of special privileges that can benefit you. I just want you to think about it and give me your decision after the funeral," he said to Ash, before heading inside to the lab to ask Professor Oak for his temporary lodgings.

Ash seemed to be thinking it over, wondering if he could really leave everything that he'd ever known and go with this relatively unknown man to live in a city in a gym. On one hand it was a dream come true, getting this kind of opportunity. Then again on the other hand, it was the scariest thought he'd ever thought of, to say goodbye to the familiar greenery and people of Pallet Town, and go into a brand new world.

Looking around the quaint town, he wondered, "_I have no idea what to do. Then again, what choice do I really have? If I don't go with him, it isn't like I have any other options. I can't stay here and be a burden on Professor Oak. I guess going with him is my only real option...but why am I not jumping for joy? I mean he's my uncle, I should be happy that I get to live with a relative that might care for me...Am I really that attached to this town? The one that has almost completely ignored my existence?"_

* * *

><p>The funeral happened shortly after Giovanni's arrival. It was a very quiet affair with only a few people in attendance. For the most part, the group was comprised of Ash, the three Oaks, Giovanni, and a few others that had decided to try to console the last Ketchum for his loss. In Ash's eyes, it was far too little too late. None of them really cared. They were just here for news to gossip about, and to soothe their guilty conscious for making the two Ketchums outcasts in Pallet Town.<p>

A few days later, Giovanni finally decided to ask Ash what he had decided regarding his offer.

Ash stated in a blase tone, "I'll go with you. There's nothing left for me in this town anyways. When can we leave?"

A smile bloomed on Giovanni's face, as he ruffled Ash's hair and said, "Alright, glad to have you with me. We can leave in my helicopter in an hour, once you get everything ready and say all your good-byes. Just come outside when you're done, I'll be waiting by the copter."

Ash walked back inside and saw that all three Oaks were waiting for him. Surprised, he could only wonder how they had known what his decision would be.

"Don't look so surprised Ash, we knew you'd go with Giovanni. Or at least, I'd seriously hoped that you would take him up on his offer," said the Professor with a smile on his face.

Ash felt some tears well up in his eyes as he realized he probably wouldn't be seeing these people for a long time. Sure, he could always try calling Gary on the videophone, but it wasn't the same thing as living near a person. He ran forward and hugged the three, tears spilling out of his eyes.

"Tch, just as I'd expect from a big crybaby like you Ashy boy. Getting all teary eyed on me. You better not become weak out there in Viridian! Next time we meet, we're going to be rival trainers! You better be prepared, because I'm going to be working my butt off to make sure I become a Pokemon Master!" said Gary, turning around to hide his own tears and keep up his macho act.

He then gave Ash half of a Poke Ball. It was a golden Poke Ball, with no purpose in catching Pokemon, meant purely as a decoration piece, yet Ash felt like it was the greatest gift he'd ever received. It was a prize that Gary had received in a local contest geared towards building interest in Pokemon, promoted by the League of course. Gary had gotten first place in it, while Ash hadn't even made the top five. That day, it had shown Ash the wide gap separating the two, as Gary was much more knowledgeable than him. Ash hadn't even heard of half the facts that Gary had stated, and had felt extremely inferior to him that day.

Gary then explained, "This represents our bond as friends and as rivals Ash. For as long as we have these, we will always be sworn rivals. No matter what happens, we must keep growing stronger until we both achieve our dreams. You better not get weak, or I'll beat you and take this back, you got it!"

Gary quickly ran away while Ash clutched the broken Poke Ball. He put it in his pockets to sort out properly later once he was on the copter with Giovanni.

Blue stepped forward and ruffled up Ash's hair before putting a slightly worn deluxe edition official Pokemon League hat on his head. It was a red hat with the Pokemon League logo in white on the front.

"You're a good kid Ash, take care of yourself. I want you to have this hat. I was holding onto it for your old man, hoping he'd come back for it one day, but I think you'll need it more than me. This thing was with him through all of his adventures, so take care of it ya hear?" he said with a smirk.

Ash seemed awed at the rare hat, one that had long been declared out of production by the Pokemon League. He was even more surprised that Blue had known his father.

Ash asked in an incredulous tone, "You knew my father! All this time and you never told me? At least tell me this, who is he?"

Blue laughed, "What can I say, we both grew up here in Pallet Town, and we eventually became friends. Doesn't mean I liked it when the jerk beat me an hour after I became Champion though."

Ash's eyes widened.

"My dad was a Champion?" he shouted.

"One of the best, they used to say he was either a demon or a saint, because no ordinary human could be so skilled at battling. His name was Red," said Blue, before seeming to dismiss Ash as he decided to leave, having said his goodbye.

Ash's head was left reeling as he took in the news, that his father was a Champion, just like Blue. In fact, his father was the one who beat Blue and took over the throne!

Professor Oak then walked to Ash and said, "Ash, it's not easy for me to say good-bye. In the short two years that we've known you, you've wormed your way into our hearts. Know that no matter what happens in the future, you'll always be welcome back here. When you leave Pallet Town, I just want you to remember what I told you earlier. Never run away from your fears Ash, never become like me. Face them head on, and build your path to success. You're a talented boy, and one day I'm sure you'll do great and wonderful things. Before you leave, I want you to take something to remember us by."

He then moved his hands from behind his back and held out a small brown feline creature to him. It had big wide eyes, and a small black nose. Its two long ears were pointing down as it looked at Ash confused. It had a cream white colored mane surrounding its neck and a fat long fox like tail.

After a few seconds of staring uncertainly at each other, the baby Pokemon jumped out of the Professor's hands and jumped on Ash, licking his face happily while causing him to fall down from surprise.

It yipped in an adorable tone, "Vee, vee".

Ash started laughing as the Eevee's actions were tickling him. Oak stared content that Eevee and Ash seemed to be getting along well. After a few moments, the Eevee calmed down and seemed to fall asleep on Ash, its young body still not used to so much excitement.

Ash picked up the Eevee's young frame and asked the Professor overjoyed, yet at the same time sad, "Thank you so much Professor, I love that you got me an Eevee, but I can't keep him. I'm still not old enough to have my trainer license yet, so it'd be illegal for me to own an Eevee."

The Professor laughed, "Don't worry Ash, I've already taken care of it with Giovanni. Eevee's been registered for now as one of Giovanni's Pokemon. Since you'll be living with him as his nephew, you'll be able to take care of Eevee without a license, since technically Eevee will be Giovanni's Pokemon. Now take care of him, he's a newborn so he'll be a little weak for the first few weeks. I'd originally intended to give him as a starter Pokemon to a worthy trainer a few years from now, but I think you'll be able to take care of him. Here's his Poke Ball. Take care now Ash. Keep in touch and don't forget we're just a phone call away."

Ash smiled widely as he received the Poke Ball and quickly returned Eevee into it. He clipped the Poke Ball to his belt, while basking in the joy of the moment. He had his first Pokemon! It was an exhilarating moment, and he didn't know what to do, until he remembered the helicopter was waiting for him outside. Putting the few items that remained after the fire in a small backpack, he walked outside to the copter and nodded to Giovanni to indicate he was ready. Giovanni seemed a little surprised by the new hat, and glanced at it for a moment before turning away and sitting in the copter with Persian.

As he sat down in the helicopter, he wondered what the future would hold for him. So much had changed in the past few days, and yet, the future held a lot of promise for him now. He knew one thing for sure though.

"_No matter what happens, nothing is going to stop me from becoming the best. Nothing," _he thought with absolute confidence and determination shining in his eyes.

As the copter rose into the air, and he turned his eyes ahead towards Viridian City, he didn't realize the dark world that he was about to enter. For just as he had many hopes and desires, so too did his uncle. Unfortunately, many of those dark desires would end up causing trouble for both of them in the future.

Giovanni thought to himself as Pallet Town faded away into the forests of Route 1, "_The next few years are going to be _quite_ interesting_."

A dark glint was in his eyes as he petted Persian while looking at the oblivious Ash.

* * *

><p>AN: Realized I forgot a disclaimer in the past two chapters, guess I'll add that in when I revise them this weekend. I didn't really like how this chapter came out at all, it was too emotional, which is something I'm not too good at writing. Giovanni may seem OOC, but just remember two things. One, Giovanni cares deeply for family, this is self-evident by the long drawn out schemes he does in the Pokemon Adventures manga just to find his son Silver. Obviously family has to mean something to him. Two, he's Giovanni! Nothing is as straightforward as it seems with him, as we'll come to learn in the coming chapters. It's going to be a lot of mind games from here on out as Giovanni tries to turn Ash towards his side with Team Rocket. The Moltres bit was inspired from the games. Every time we first beat the Elite Four and unlock the various legendaries, one of the first things we do is try to catch the Legendaries, like Mewtwo, Lugia, Rayquaza, the Regis etc. In the games, they have to keep all the Pokemon balanced as it is a multiplayer oriented RPG. However, in my story which will be much more realistic, the legendaries won't be balanced with the rest of the Pokemon, they'll be true terrifying monsters. Mythology and Legends are going to be big in this story of the Pokemon world, so keep your eyes open whenever they're mentioned in the next few chapters. Also, as you can see, Eevee is Ash's starter. I'm still not sure yet on whether I'll keep Pikachu involved in the story, but for now Eevee will be replacing him.<p> 


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